Holla Back NYC empowers New Yorkers to Holla Back at street harassers. Whether you're commuting, lunching, partying, dancing, walking, chilling, drinking, or sunning, you have the right to feel safe, confident, and sexy, without being the object of some turd's fantasy. So stop walkin' on and Holla Back:
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Friday, September 25, 2009

Scared like a child who thinks about monsters.

One day as I walked a friend to the train station, I noticed a man in my periphery against a wall by the station, I walked her down and then noticed on my way up that the man against the wall was still there and now trying to get my attention. So oh course my first response is to ignore the bastard, but this man proceeded to follow me. Only a few feet from the station, he proceeded to use his body to corner me up against a wall. My instinct told me to push him away. However, when I pushed I was so scared that I didn't know my own strength, I shoved him back. He stumbled a few feet backwards and became enraged. I saw in his eyes that he was going to hurt me, so I ran.

Of course, it was the only moment that I have seen this area so empty that I had to run and be chased a full block until I found some people on the street. They were a construction crew. I ran in between them and pointed at the crazy man chasing me. They used their body to block the crazy guy and told me to run home. As I was running home, I could still hear this crazy guy screaming at me about what he would do. As soon as I got home, I locked all the doors and thought about how frightening this was. I was scared. Scared like a child who thinks about monsters. How can one person make another person feel like this in one moment. I am truly sick and tired of this harassment. Since coming to NYC, I understand why people become agoraphobic. Enough is enough. I will not be silenced.

For awhile, I tried to figure out what it is about me that lured these violators to single me out. Is it the way I walk? Is it because I am so short and small? Is it because I seem weak? Is it because of the way I dress?....In the end, why the fuck does any of this matter. It is just plain unacceptable.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

A Guy Who Gets It

Good story: so I was harassed today at least five or six times, all around the chelsea neighborhood. When I was about to get on the subway at 28th st, a sleazy guy went, "ooh, nice dress sexy." A guy walking right behind me overheard and muttered "what an asshole." After so much harassment it was nice to know not all men think talking to women that way is ok! Thanks dude behind me for making my day.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Repeat Offender

As a high school student coming from suburbs riding to school into Manhattan fifteen years ago it was a shock to see a grotesque looking man performing this action [masturbating] "in front of me". It was then again years later commuting to Manhattan to work and seeing another disgusting grin faced gray haired man coming into my train car sitting on the other end of the train and committing the same act. In fear I slowly moved head away and tried to remain my composure . Later that afternoon I tried to report the incidence to a train conductor but since it was late in the day too late for anything to be done... back then cell phones didn't have that camera feature that could allow you take the pictures and report them, something I could have really used...

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

I wish I could carry around a sword.

I'm beginning to hate men, I am beginning to hate walking outside. I am turning into a racist. I'm becoming an asshole. I wish I could carry around a sword.

Today on the F train towards Jamaica at about 8:00am, a man with reflective shades sat in front of me in a crowded train. It seemed strange that he had been wearing reflective sunglasses in the morning in an underground train. I soon realized that after a couple of minutes, he was masturbating. At this moment, I leaned in and yelled if that's what he's doing. He could not respond; however, because this is the second time this has happened to me, I decided to yell some more. I was enraged. I am so sick and tired of being harassed. I'm becoming an asshole with no tolerance for this type of behavior. So, I continued to yell at this man until the entire train knew what he was doing. I woke the lady next to him to inform her that she had been sitting next to an pervert masterbater. Then, I proceeded to curse this guy out some more. Then to my surprise another man on the train started to yell at him saying that if he doesn't stop that he was going to hurt him.

ATTENTION: WOMEN PLEASE SAY SOMETHING !!!

I think what surprised me the most was not that someone stood up with me, but that it was a man. None of the women on the train said anything when they heard and understood what was happening to me. Are we that afraid? We need to ban together and look out and help each other. When I see other women getting harassed, I always jump in to help. Where are the women to help me? How can we curb this type of harassment, if not everyone tried to change it.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Take a Street Harassment Survey!

Dr. Kimberly Fairchild is one of the few academics studying street harassment. Check out her article from 2008, written with Laurie A. Rudman: “Everyday stranger harassment and women’s self-objectification” in Social Justice Research, 21(3), 338-357. Her article is based on research she conducted at Rutgers University about street harassment and its relationship to women’s self-objectification. In a one-sentence summary, she examined the question: if men objectify women in public, are the women likely to internalize that view of themselves and objectify themselves?

Currently, she’s examining whether or not changes in context alter women’s responses to street harassment and she’s also studying women’s emotional responses. She’s conducting an online survey as part of her research and is working to gather more responses, especially from men (for contrast). Please take it and share the link. Thanks!

D Train Douchbag Strikes

I just got back home from work. While half way there on the D train to Brooklyn, I was watching a music video on my Ipod, I decided to look up to see what stop I'm at and saw a man sitting at the back end across from me, jerking off. He was staring at me too, it was soooo very disgusting, the train wasn't even empty, there was a women sitting close to him too, but she was sleeping and there were plenty of other people near where I was sitting, I can't believe he got the nerves. I would've snapped a picture and report it but I left my phone at home... ugh the worst time not to have a camera.